A BABY squirrel monkey has been born at an East Sussex zoo and is just starting to explore the world while clinging tightly to its mother’s back.

The cheeky little monkeys have always been popular at Drusillas Park in Alfriston and the new arrival has been delighting visitors.

Zoo manager Sue Woodgate said: “We are absolutely delighted with our gorgeous new arrival. Our visitors have been really excited to spot a new baby in the squirrel monkey enclosure.

"Adult squirrel monkeys are just adorable, so you can’t even begin to imagine how cute their babies are. We do not know the sex of the baby and have not yet come up with a name, but we are hoping to pool some inventive name suggestions soon.”

In the wild, squirrel monkeys live in large groups in the forests of South America.

They are extremely slender and nervous creatures with yellow colouring and a white mask around their eyes.

Their diet consists of nuts, flowers, buds, seeds, leaves, gums, insects, arachnids and small vertebrates.

Unlike other monkeys, squirrel monkeys get about by jumping rather than swinging, walking or clambering.